Cai Shunshi mulberry brick

[Cai Shun Mulberry Picking Brick]

Cai Shun Mulberry Picking Brick, Northern Song Dynasty, 19.5 cm high, 26 cm wide, 2.8 cm thick
The brick is rectangular, the inner surface of the brick is chiseled into the shape of a pot door, and the word “Cai Shun” is carved on the center. In the picture, there is a person on the right, with a towel on his head and a fluttering scarf. He is wearing a round neck robe with patterns on it, a belt around his waist, and boots on his feet. His left foot is raised, and his right foot is sagging. He sits on the stone platform. Behind him stands a guard with a sword and a armor. The person on the left is wearing a cross-necked jacket, tied with a bag at the back of the waist, and wearing pants under the waist. He bends over and arches his hands in a respectful manner. There is a bag of rice and two hooves in front of it, and behind it is a bamboo basket full of mulberry. The background of the picture is dotted with rocks and trees
“Picking up mulberries for relatives” is one of the stories of the twenty-four filial piety. Cai Shun was poor and had no food to eat, so he picked up mulberry for his mother. Each time, the mulberry picked up is divided into two parts. The black one serves his mother and the white one feeds himself. Once I picked up mulberry in the mountains and met the red eyebrow army. The Red Cross Army wanted to rob Cai Shun, but was moved by his filial piety, so they gave him hooves and rice. From the picture, the tall man on the right should be the leader of the rebel army, and the modest man on the left should be Cai Shun. In order to commend filial piety, the bandits in the green forest have become the object of praise in the eyes of orthodox Taoists. It’s really filial piety.